Optical modulator utilizing wafer bonding technology

• Main Authors: LIU ANSHENG, RONG HAISHENG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.05.2013
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

Optical modulator utilizing wafer bonding technology. An embodiment of a method includes etching a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer to produce a first part of a silicon waveguide structure on a first surface of the SOI wafer, and preparing a second wafer, the second wafer including a layer of crystalline silicon, the second wafer including a first surface of crystalline silicon. The method further includes bonding the first surface of the second wafer with a thin oxide to the first surface of the SOI wafer using a wafer bonding technique, wherein a second part of the silicon waveguide structure is etched in the layer of crystalline silicon.